Multiplying mechanism



June 7, 1949. c. H, DoERsAM, JR 2,472,097

MULTIPLYING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 15, 194e 35 OUTPUT -g 2 2o r2I 23 2\ f GEAR f ooUNTING 4 GEAR TRAIN k DEVICE TRAIN E TI I I Il I4- I2 I I I I 34\ 33\ l Y 32 I I I3 GEAR ,A INPUT 'I IG I5 I TRAIN Il IO`1 I f I I EJ y I I I I I l I I I I I I rx rx I 7^ AGTUATING I I DEvIGE I I I 27- I I E I- I I I le I I AGTUATING I I DEVICE I I I I I I II I I 3o\ 3I\ I I INPUT 2?( [GEAR I I TRAIN I AI I I CHARLES H. DOERSAM JR Patented June 7, 1949 UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE- MULTIPLYING lVIEGHANISrMt Charles H; Do'ersam, Jr., Palisade, N. J.

Application Febrilary`15; 1946, Serial'Noi-647,983l solhims; (C1. iicir (Granted underthe act of March 3,1; 1883, as"

amended April 30,1923;r 370l o; G. '157) lfhis invention relates to' computingl mecha-` nisms-and inparticular tov aimultiplying mecha; nismof simple construction and capable of-pro' duoing accurate results over a wide and variable' rangeo'finput quantities. 5

In many instances itis desirable to `have acomputing mechanismfcapable'of multiplication op-l eration over a large input range.M Multiplying systems thathavehithertobeen available have hadlimited applicabilityI because,- in many in lo'.

tratesla typical embodiment of -the inventionfandl 25' the r mannerV in which .that embodiment may be f considered tooperate.-V o

I'i accordance withVV thefundair1en-talconcepts` oi" the present invention-i a multiplying-mechanism is provided ofSimplecOnStructiOHand -ca'v 3 pablo of multiplication-pftwoinput quantities which may: be lgreater-orL less than-unity. First' and-secondvariableratiodriveA mechanismsare employed to produce inresponseY tothe'input` quantities first and-second-result-quantities which 3'5" are proportional;` respectively, tothe first andA second input quantities. The input quantities areutilized in suona manner that --theratio ybetween theHin-put and output of the-rstdrivemechanism*T is controlled-by the second input quantity-through? 40" suitable gearing andthe ratio between input fand output of the secondJ drive mechanism` is controlled by the first input quantity. through addi'A tionalV suitablegearing. The rstand secondresultl quantities are counted in asuitable device, 45"' prerably'of' a differential nature to obtain a unal output' quantity which is theproduot of the tivofinput' quantities.

2 by the drive unit Il), a disc' member I2fis provided With-rotarymotionby theshaft I3: This motion is communicated toacylinder- Ilby means of ball members I5; IISy which are'l in' Contact' therewith.

Cylinder Mis-capable of rotational motion about" af' longitudinal aX-isintheplane of" the figure. ltotationl ofdisc member I2" causes rotation of ballVA I5 aboutI an` axis substantially parallel to thatfo cylinder' I'flr- This-rotatiori5of` ball I5 isin turn Ycommunicated to ball I6 whichy also re` volvesabout' an axis*` substantially parallelto that of4 cylinder I4.` Rotation of ball I5 then` causes rotation-of cylinderv Ill.l The ratio oiv the dri-ve-mechanism, which is denedas the ratior ofA the-number oi-vrevolutions ofil cylinder Ill produced-byr one revolution ofA discmember I2, can-` be= adjusted atl willY byv chan-gingV the radial dise placement of balls- 15;v I'Ii fromt'heic'enter' of disc I2:l Withballs I5,Ili'riear` the center of disc I2; this `ratioisi-srrrall andl maybe Zero With -balls' I5; I6- near the outer'peripheryof disc Izthe ratio islarge.4 This'ratio^may be `alteredfiri direct pro-H portionl toan alteration infv-` the displacement ofballs I5, I6 from the center of disc I2. An actuat' ing device I 'I isfemployedto translate rotary motion ofa shaft I8 intdjmotion which'will'v'ary the radial distance ofatheballs I5; I6' fromtlfe" centerfof disc |22!A Forexample; device'v II'could takethe form of a-worm-"drivenlead screwar-v ofrangment somewhat similar to that shown by the-patent to Chafee et al. 2;206,8'75 issued'July 9; 1,940.- l V o Rotationof cylinder I4- anda similar cylin der' I9 in the drivey mechanism II is counted in a suitable-device 20-Wh`ich is preferably of a differeiitial type adapted to providean output rotation olfs'haft' 2l`vvhich is proportional to the sum of the rotation ofl cylinders I4,.I9.' This motion of cylinders I4 andv I9 iscommunicated-preferably-A through gear trains 22, 23'Which may include reductionv gears and bevel gears;

AIt istol be noted that although the variable drive devices Il),`v I I are shown diagrammatically, the components vthereof are placedY in suitable supporting'irameworks which providemounting supportatfthe ends oi cylinders I4; I9 and for the dioo 1 2"; 2al siidooie rjfiohhiihg' ',hoiwshowh, is provided flo u barr I5, Is'aha haus 25,' 2s which are operatedv tliroiighthe actuatingl devices I'I, 2B, respectively; byrt'ato'n of sha'ftshl 8, 2*'I.

Afirst'uiput quantity is suppliedto a first input shaft 2'9 from* ihpuijiixtjuie su. Rotation of' input quantity is also supplied through shaft i8 to the actuating device ll which controls the position of balls l5, i6 and consequently the ratio of the drive mechanism EEB.

A second input quantity is supplied to a second input shaft 32 from an input fixture 33. Rotation of shaft 32 is applied to disc it of drive mechanism l!) through a gear train Sii which, as before, may provide reduction of the input quantity or direct drive of the disc l2. Similarly the second input quantity is employed to change the ratio of the variable ratio drive mechanism il through shaft 21 and the actuating device 2li.

The rotation of cylinders ill, H3 is applied through gear trains 22, 23 to the counter 2U. Counter 29 is preferably of a differential type adapted to receive two rotary input quantities and produce a rotary output quantity into shaft 2l which is proportional to the sum of the two rotary input quantities. This output quantity is -obtained from fixture 35.

It is generally desirable that the gear trains 22, 23, 3l, 34 include reducing gears if the rotational motion of shafts 29, 32 is large. This is desirable because the positions of balls i5, it and of balls 25, 2t may be altered only by a limited amount. Conversely it is desirable that multiplication of the angular quantities occur in units 22, 23, 3|, 34 if the input quantities to shafts 29, 32 are small.

As description of the operation of the mechanism where used to multiply a factor o-f four by a factor of six with Zero revolution alteration occurring in gear trains 22, 23, 3l, 3 is as follows:

Starting with balls l5, l@ and 25, 2li at the center of the associated disc I2 and 2d, a first input quantity of four revolutions is applied to shaft 29. This rotary motion moves balls l5, l away from the center of disc l?. to a position in which ball l5 is in contact with disc l2 at a point whose distance from the center of disc l2 is equal to four times the radius of cylinder It. As this occurs, disc 24 goes through four revolutions.

The second input quantity (six) may then be applied to shaft 32. This motion moves balls 25, 26 away from the center of disc 29 to a position which is displaced from the center by an amount equal to six times the radius of cylinder I9.

Simultaneously, disc l2 goes through six revolutions to produce twenty-four revolutions of cylinder I4. This rotational quantity is applied to the differential counting device 2t! to obtain an angular output quantity which is proportional to twenty-four. Although this action was described as occurring in time sequence with the occurrence of an input signal to shaft 32 following after the input signal to shaft 29. similar action and output result would occur for simultaneous input of the quantities to shafts 29, For example, assume that two revolutions is imparted to each of the input shafts 29 and 32 simultaneously, and that balls l5, it and 25, 2t are positioned initially at the center of their respective discs l2 and 24. Then during the first revolution the gear ratio of each of the devices lll and ll will increase from zero to unity. In other words the mean gear ratio of each of the devices it? and il during this interval is equal to 1%.; due to the fact that the variable gear ratio mechanisms lii and Il have progressed from zero to a 1:1 ratio. Thus, at the end of the first revolution each of the cylinders I4 and I9 will have completed 1/2 revolution;

which when combined in device 2li will sum up to one complete revolution of output shaft 2|. During the second revolution, the gear ratio of each of the mechanisms I D and il will increase from one to two at the end of the second revolution. The mean gear ratio of each mechanism during this interval is, accordingly, equal to one and one half. Thus, the second revolution rotates each of the drums lll and lll through one and one half complete revolutions; which when combined in device 20 sums up to three revolutions of the output shaft 2| in response to the second input revolution. The total rotation of shaft 2l therefore adds up to four revolutions since two revolutions have been imparted ,by each of the devices l0 and I l or is equal to the product of the two simultaneous input quantities.

From the foregoing discussion it is apparent that considerable modification of the features of this invention are possible, and while the device herein described and the form of apparatus for the operation thereof constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise device and. form of apparatus and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiplying system for obtaining output quantity proportional to the product of two input quantities, comprising; means receiving the input quantities, a first variable ratio drive mechanism responsive to the first of said input quantities for producing a first result quantity proportional to the first input quantity, said first variable ratio drive mechanism also responsive to the second input quantity for controlling the proportion by which the first input quantity is changed in the first variable ratio drive mechanism, a second variable ratio drive mechanism responsive to the second of said input quantities for producing a second result quantity, proportional to the second input quantity, said second variable ratio drive mechanism also responsive to the first input quantity for controlling the proportion by which the second input quantity is changed in the second variable ratio drive mechanism, and counting means combining the first and second result quantities to produce an output quantity proportional to the sum of the rst and second result quantities.

2. A multiplying system for obtaining an output quantity proportional to the product of two input quantities, comprising; means receiving the input quantities, a first variable -ratio drive mechanism responsive to the first of said input quantities for producing a first result quantity proportional to the first input quantity, said first variable ratio drive mechanism also responsive to the second input quantity for controlling the proportion by which the first input quantity is changed in the first variable ratio drive mechanism, a second variable ratio drive mechanism responsive to the second of said input quantities for producing a second result quantity proportional to the second input quantity, said second variable ratio drive mechanism also responsive to the first input quantity for controlling the proportion by which the second input quantity is changed in the second variable drive mechanism, and differential type counting means combining the rst and second result quantities to produce an output quantity proportional to the sum of the first and second result quantities.

3. A multiplying system for obtaining an output quantity equal to the product of a pair of simultaneous input quantities, comprising; first and second variable ratio drive mechanisms, means responsive to one of said input quantities to change, in direct proportion thereto, the ratio of said rst Variable ratio drive mechanism, means coupling the other input quantity to said first variable ratio drive mechanism to produce a first output quantity, means responsive to said other input quantity to change, in direct proportion thereto, the ratio of said second variable ratio mechanism, means coupling said one input quantity to said second variable ratio drive mechanism to produce a second output quantity, and means combining said rst and second output quantities to produce a third output oiuantit7 equal to the sum of said first and second output quantities.

CHARLES H. DOERSAM, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date l5 1,072,500 Richardson Sept. 9, 1913 2,206,875 Chafee July 9, 1940 2,251,155 Neuhaus July 29, 1941 

